title: Template assisted electrodeposition of germanium and silicon nanowires in an ionic liquid.
abstract: In this paper we report for the first time on the room temperature template synthesis of germanium and silicon nanowires by potentiostatic electrochemical deposition from the air- and water stable ionic liquid 1-butyl-1-methylpyrrolidinium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)amide ([Py(1,4)]Tf(2)N) containing GeCl(4) and SiCl(4) as a Ge and Si source, respectively. Commercially-available track-etched polycarbonate membranes (PC) with an average nominal pore diameter of 90-400 nm were used as templates. Ge and Si nanowires with an average diameter corresponding to the nanopores' diameter and lengths of a few micrometres were reproducibly obtained. Structural characterization of the nanowires was performed by EDX, TEM, HR-SEM and Raman spectroscopy. Despite the rough surface of the nanowires, governed mostly by the original shape of the nanopore's wall of the commercially-available PC membrane, preliminary structural characterizations demonstrate the promising prospective of this innovative elaboration process compared to constraining high vacuum and high temperature methods.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Particle Technology, Chair of Interface Processes, Clausthal University of Technology, Clausthal-Zellerfeld, Germany. frank.endres@tu-clausthal.de
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Al-Salman
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mallet
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Molinari
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Fricoteaux
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Martineau
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Troyon
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zein El Abedin
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Endres
mesh_terms: D004581:Electronics / Q000379:methods; D004595:Electroplating / Q000379:methods*; D005857:Germanium / Q000737:chemistry*; D052578:Ionic Liquids / Q000737:chemistry*; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D036103:Nanotechnology / Q000379:methods; D053770:Nanowires; D011076:Polycarboxylate Cement; D017655:Silicon Compounds / Q000737:chemistry*; D013059:Spectrum Analysis, Raman; D013314:Stress, Mechanical
chemical_list: D052578:Ionic Liquids; D011076:Polycarboxylate Cement; D017655:Silicon Compounds; D005857:Germanium; C005506:polycarbonate